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Car Safety Around School Buses

Too often, people fail to stop around school buses when they are supposed to, which can seriously jeopardize the safety of children, bus drivers, and other pedestrians. According to a Wicomico Public School bus driver, even when the bus’s amber lights are flashing, cars often approaching from either direction with no intention of slowing down. In fact, he said, drivers failing to stop when they are supposed to is a problem that occurs frequently.

Bus drivers across the state experience similar issues, including being cut off by other drivers. People see a bus and they attempt to speed up and pass it because they do not want to be held up by a school bus that has to make multiple stops. This can increase the risk of car accidents involving children as they are usually the most vulnerable party in these situations.

School Bus Laws

According to officials from the Somerset County Public Schools, an average of five violations occur each week, and that only accounts for the ones that are reported.

The following are school bus laws that all motorists in Maryland must follow:

When driving on a two-lane roadway, drivers from both lanes must begin to slow down as soon as a bus’s yellow lights start flashing. Generally, that is one hundred feet before a stop.

If the red lights on the bus are flashing and the stop sign is out, all drivers from both directions must come to a complete stop. This rule also applies to four-lanes roadways that no do not have a median.

Potential Injuries

The greatest risk for potential injuries, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation, is when children are either approaching or getting off the bus. Parents and schools should remind children about steps they can take to stay safe in and around the school bus.

For example, to be seen by the bus driver, children should take ten steps in front of the bus before crossing. They should avoid going behind the bus. If the bus driver needs to back up and the child is in a blind spot, they could be seriously injured if they are hit by the bus.

Our offices are located in Baltimore, Columbia, Glen Burnie, and Towson, allowing us to represent car accident victims in Maryland, including those in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County, Maryland’s Western Counties, Prince George’s County, Queen Anne’s County, Southern Maryland, and the Eastern Shore, as well as the communities of Catonsville, Essex, Halethorpe, Middle River, Rosedale, Gwynn Oak, Brooklandville, Dundalk, Pikesville, Nottingham, Windsor Mill, Lutherville, Timonium, Sparrows Point, Ridgewood, and Elkridge.